21st September 2015
On the 10th of September the English Literature class travelled to Stratford upon Avon to spend the day gaining a unique insight into the comedy play Volpone – a text that is a key part of the A-level.
The English Literature group
The Royal Shakespeare Company provided an insightful first look at the Ben Johnson play; beginning the day with a talk by an academic which compared the modern adaptation of the play to how it would have been performed in the Globe Theatre in 1606.
After this we split into smaller groups; completing interactive workshops with members of the RSC, such as the assistant producer and Volpone's understudy.
After lunch and a brief explore of Shakespeare's home town, we reconvened to watch the readings and rehearsal of key speeches in the play. The talented actors demonstrated the fascinating ability to adjust their speaking, tone and body language in numerous ways, making each reading seem entirely different.
Following this the assistant producer and actors held a Q&A- answering questions on the text, acting and their experiences at the RSC. Later in the evening, we watched a performance of Volpone, which was updated for a modern context. This experience has given our English group an extremely valuable insight into the play, how it is staged, and its historical background.
